1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless networks. Specifically, the present invention relates to secret key exchange using temporal link signatures.
2. The Relevant Technology
Secret key establishment between two entities is a fundamental requirement for private communication between these entities. Currently, the most common method for establishing a secret key is by using public key cryptography. However, public key cryptography consumes significant amount of computing resources and power which might not be available in certain scenarios (e.g., sensor networks).
One of the important concerns with public key cryptography is that its security depends on factorization of large numbers. Researchers have argued that powerful future computers, for example quantum computers, when available, will be able to factorize large numbers quickly. In addition, measurements over time can be correlated. This may result in a correlated bit stream used for secret key generation that is less secure against attack. Also, the generation of secret keys historically require a long time because of low bit rates.
In addition, a public key infrastructure (PKI) requires the cumbersome use of a third party authentication service to verify the validity of a public or private key. Specifically, the PKI requires the use of a digital certification for document and identity authentication purposes. In general, such digital certificates are used to certify the identity of an entity in the digital world. A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues, renews, and revokes certificates. Reference back to the CA is necessary to ensure that the public/private key combination is still valid.
What is necessary are techniques that do not use public key cryptography for next generation networks.